Heroes Never Truly Die
by Lakeshine
Summary: "He isn't really gone you know" She says sitting beside him, shoulder lightly brushing his. "Heroes never truly die, they live on within those they left behind"


**Lakeshine here! Sorry about lack of updates fro EVERYTHING but I've been so busy lately, in addition to Sophmore year I have a college class I'm taking (Portuguese and learning a new language is hard) and I've been busy on the weekends with skiing for the first time and my friend's consecutive birthday parties but I'm working on it! Meanwhile this was written on a snow day because it wouldn't leave me alone... Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer~ Young Justice and its characters do not belong to me in the slightest**

**Heroes Never Truly Die **

**Robin's POV**

"Rob look out!" I turn towards Wally's voice trying to locate the danger and see it, a stray burglar pointing his gun straight at my chest. I hear the click as he readies the gun to shoot, a loud bang piercing the air as he pulls the trigger. Out of the corner of my eye I see Wally running towards me but I can't move, the bullet impacting my chest and pushing me backwards. But it doesn't hurt, everything was a blur. I look down, seeing dark red splattering my uniform, a hole straight through my chest. I cough, blood covering my lips and feel myself sway, falling back expecting to hit concrete but Wally's there and catching me, green eyes frantic. His mouth moves but I don't hear a word, shadows dancing at the corners of my eyes. So this was it, what death felt like. My body feels heavy, like something was pulling down on it, sucking me into a black hole, pinpricks of feeling slowly fading away. Red and blue lights flash along the corners of the alleyway, no doubt an ambulance but I know its too late, I was going to die. But I had no regrets, not really, after my parents died I had become a hero, the first partner, I had saved lives, the world even, and had a new family that loved me. I made valuable friends and joined the Team, made the Batman, Bruce, a happier person, faint smiles only visible to me appearing on his face while in costume. I guess that was my one regret, not being able to say bye to everyone, to tell Bruce to move on and maybe pick up some street kid to become the new Robin since Batman needed one. To tell Alfred he was the best butler out there, more a member of the family then a butler and to tell Babs that she was an amazing friend,that without her I never would have survived Gotham. Being able to tell Roy that he should join the Team and to be that older brother he used to be before he got sour over the lies the League had told about the Watchtower. To tell Wally he was the best bro I could have ever asked for and that he really needed to open his eyes to his obvious crush on Artemis even though they both refused its existence. Not being able to tell Kaldur he was a great leader, a better fit for the job then I was, he just needed to be a bit more confident in himself and the Team and to not sacrifice himself so easily when other options were open and to tell Connor not to sweat it about Superman, he would come around eventually, especially if he was able to control his anger better. I would tell M'Gann my mom's secret cookie recipe from when I was younger and remind her to set the timer on the oven when she baked so her cookies wouldn't burn. And Artemis, I would let her know the team wouldn't care about her family, she wasn't them, she could tell us anything and nothing would change. I wish I could tell Zee that the pain of losing her dad would fade over time, it would never completely disappear but it would get better and that she should always remember that he did it because he loved her. Most of all I would tell them all how much they really meant to me and tell them who I was, the boy behind the mask. But it was too late, the red pool under me now reaching my fingertips though I couldn't feel it, only vaguely see it. My eyes begin to flicker and my head moves as Wally shakes me, screaming without a doubt, the last image I see before darkness claims me forever.

**Regular POV  
**

It was a short ceremony, the long and public one scheduled for later in the week. This funeral was only for those closest to Robin, the Team and a handful of Leaguers, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Aquaman present as well. Three others were present as well, Red Arrow had found his way in, standing silently to the side along with another a red head with blue eyes and an older man, the man comforting the sobbing girl. All masks were off in the the Cave that day, Batman telling the Team who he and Robin were, fulfilling his ward's wish to tell his team the truth, Artemis confessing about her past soon after. As Robin predicted no one was mad at her about it, Wally giving her hand a comforting squeeze and letting her know nothing would change because of it. Superman finally talked things over with Connor, accepting the clone at long last and M'Gann had baked cookies in the kitchen, trying a new recipe that had been slipped under her door, remembering to set the timer for once so they didn't burn. Roy had reconciled with GA and Artemis, apologizing to the team for treating them as if they were kids and Kaldur had asked him to join the team which the red head accepted at at long last.. The red head had introduced herself as Barbara, Robin's civilian best friend and the Batgirl in training. She asked if she could join the team, not to replace Robin in the slightest since nothing ever could, but instead to act as the stealth and hacker of the team, knowing the team would need someone with such skills. She was accepted without hesitation. Zatanna didn't talk much throughout the entire thing, sitting off to the side reading something Barbara had given her, a small red and black book. She had a small, sad smile on her face as she flipped through the pages, running her finger over the R insignia on the last page. Bruce had left part way through, an alarm from the Batmobile signalling trouble and had returned to the vehicle to find a young black haired boy, dirt and grim smeared all over him, a crowbar in his hands and a stack of hubcaps from the Batmobile at his famous protector of Gotham had paused, his hand hovering above the police call button and instead decided to take the kid in to become the new Robin, giving him a new chance at life and removing Jason Todd from the street life. He called Alfred back in the manor after to meet the new ward, Barbara opting to spend the night at the mountain under the pretense of sleeping over a friends house. The rest of the League left as well leaving the teenagers together in the Mountain, a comfortable silence hanging over them as they sat in the lounge room, a few murmurs between the group. Eventually Wally slips away from the group, heading to Robin's spare room at the Mountain and slipping in, the room undisturbed, and he slips open the window, pulling himself out and onto the Mountain, the window hidden well with he seaside view and craggy exterior. The speedster climbs up the side of the mountain, finding an alcove in the side. He climbs in, grinning a little when he saw the folders full of case notes tucked away.

"Dude you never could just stay away could you" Wally mutters, shaking his head and sitting beside the folders, picking one up. He remembered when Robin showed him this place, the 13 year old's favorite place to go over case files from Gotham. He shifts through the folders, pausing when he saw one that was a different color and stops, opening it. Pictures flutter out and cover the earthen floor. Wally drops the folder, tears in the corner of his emerald eyes as he looked over the smiling faces of the team, laughing a little as memories came flooding back, when he and Rob bedazzled Superman's cape with 'I love SB', when the team had somehow gotten into a cookie dough fight, even one where everyone passed out on the couches after a movie night.

"Hey what are you doing up here all alone Baywatch?" Wally jumps, dropping a few pictures from his hand and looks to the entrance, a familiar blonde head peering in at him.

"Last I checked you aren't my mom Arty" He replies with a sigh, words lacking their usual challenge. Artemis seems to hardly register it, crawling in to join him.

"He isn't gone ya know?" She says softly, settling herself next to him, shoulder lightly brushing against his. Wally's head snaps to face her, the blonde's head looking down at the pictures on the floor, running her fingers over them gently. ""Heroes never truly die, they live on within those they left behind. Robin, Dick, lives on in here." She says, poking her finger on his chest, over his heart and lifting her eyes to meet his, tears at their edges. "We just have to make sure we never forget him and follow his beliefs, he's part of us and has shaped not only us but much of the world, inspiring kids and saving many lives and the last thing he would want is for us to mop around being sad you know? He'd want us to move on and live, live for him" She says, a tear rolling down her cheek. Wally slips his hand into hers.

"You're right Artemis, we have to live and move on... for him" he says with a sad smile which she returns.

"Let's get back to the others alright? No point in mopping around alone" Artemis says, whipping away the tear and standing. Wally nods.

"Yeah I'll be right out, just let me clean up first." He replies. Artemis nods and climbs out of the alcove heading back to the Lounge room as Wally sweeps up the pictures, pausing at one, a picture of him and Artemis passed on next to each other at one of the team sleepovers. He picks it up, fingers brushing against something on the back and turns it over, a familiar scrawl on a sticky note staring back at him. _Wake up already dude, life's to short especially in this business not to tell her how you really care. Remember what Kent Nelson said, you know it as well as I do she's your Spitfire so don't let her get away- R'. _Wally laughs a little, a few tears rolling down his face. "That's just like you Rob, giving me relationship advice" He says, piling all the other pictures back into the folder. "Though maybe just this once I'll listen to you" He finishes, putting the picture in his pocket and heading out to rejoin his team.

**And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed so please leave me a friendly little**

**REVIEW**

**~Lakeshine**


End file.
